THE GRIM KEEPER

Blues Kepa has a ’mare in Sarri defeat

CHELSEA did not so much lose their unbeaten record, but had it snatched away from them by the most beguiling Tottenham performance since they beat Real Madrid here last season.

Wembley may not be the fortress for Mauricio Pochettino that he enjoyed at White Hart Lane.

But it seems to have a hold over Chelsea as, 111 days after their last defeat came here in the Community Shield, they never looked any more than second best.

With Liverpool and Manchester City extending their own unbeaten runs earlier in the day, it was not so much a case of Chelsea blinking first as blink and you miss it – that is how fast Tottenham came out of the blocks at them.

They had won their second corner after 38 seconds and it was not much longer after that they had taken the lead.

David Luiz was ruled to have fouled Harry Kane out on the Chelsea left.

Playmaker Christian Eriksen whipped in a free-kick with such venom that the merest flick from Dele Alli’s head was enough to send the ball flying through Kepa’s arms.

For £71.6million, you would perhaps hope to have bought the sort of slip-fielder reactions that would have pushed the ball over the bar.

There were also question-marks over the soft, but, on balance, probably fair free-kick award, although referee Martin Atkinson’s decisionmaking would be inexcusable five minutes later.

Juan Foyth, already building a reputation for himself as a somewhat clumsy conceder of penalties, clattered into Eden Hazard, but Atkinson waved play on.

It was an escape Tottenham were to take full advantage of within three minutes.

Nothing seemed on when Kane collected the ball 35 yards from goal.

But, given the freedom to wander forward and unleash a shot, bewildered Kepa merely stood and watched as the ball arrowed in at the foot of his near post.

But that second embarrassment seemed to shake the Chelsea goalkeeper belatedly into action.

And he needed to be on his toes as rampant Spurs looked to increase their London rivals’ misery. On the half-hour, Eriksen delivered another devastating cross after a short corner.

Toby Alderweireld’s effort was saved by Kepa, and Foyth’s follow-up flick with his heel drifted agonisingly wide of the far post as Wembley held its breath.

Spurs still had two further chances to extend their lead, going into the break, and both fell to Son.

With the first, he spoiled an immaculate first touch by ending his run with a wild shot high and wide.

Then, in injury time, Eriksen teed him up perfectly from 12 yards and a more considered finish was saved by Kepa.

Chelsea started the second half in more lively fashion, but once again only had themselves to blame for falling further behind.

When Son burst across the touchline out by the technical area, he was isolated. However, Jorginho could not keep up with him, David Luiz committed himself horribly, and suddenly the Korean was through to finish clinically. This had been a cuter Tottenham performance than the valiant but ineffectual displays against Chelsea in the past.

They had too often resulted in plenty of plaudits, but very few points. Sarri (above), who now had a mountain to climb, responded to the three-goal deficit by taking off his only recognised striker Alvaro Morata.

He pushed Eden Hazard further forward and brought on the twin creative forces of Ross Barkley and Pedro.

If N’Golo Kante had not missed the former’s delightful ball into the area by a matter of inches, after 64 minutes, perhaps things might have been different.

In the end, it could have been worse.

Kane missed from just eight yards out and then Alli ended a sublime move with his England colleague by shooting inches over the bar.

Finally, Olivier Giroud was introduced and scored a typical downward header from Cesar Azpilicueta’s cross, with five minutes to go.

But it was all too little, too late for Chelsea.